NBA Rumors: Boston Celtics unwilling to meet Evan Fournier's $80 million contract demand
The Boston Celtics had hoped to re-sign Evan Fournier this offseason, but those talks are at an impasse as per the latest NBA rumors. The Celtics acquired Fournier from the Orlando Magic at the NBA trade deadline last season, sending two second-round picks the other way.
The Boston Celtics have prioritized re-signing Evan Fournier this offseason, but the Frenchman's contractual demands are much higher than what the C's front office is willing to cough up. As per Mark Murphy of Boston Herald, the Celtics are not ready to meet Fournier's four-year $80 million asking price. Murphy wrote:
"According to a league source, negotiations between the Celtics and Evan Fournier are close to stalling, with the team unwilling to meet the valuable wing player’s asking price of $80 million over four years."
Evan Fournier didn't play a ton of games for the Boston Celtics last season, but he was arguably their most reliable shooter since joining the team. He averaged 15.4 points on 43.3% shooting from downtown in the 2021 NBA Playoffs.
NBA Rumors: What's next for Boston Celtics and Evan Fournier?
The Boston Celtics need a go-to scorer in the backcourt after trading Kemba Walker to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Fans were hoping that Evan Fournier could fill that role, but there's a good chance he may not return. It's worth remembering that Fournier is an unrestricted free agent and can join any team that's willing to meet his salary demands.
If that indeed turns out to be the case, Celtics fans can take solace from the fact that they've already acquired Josh Richardson from the Dallas Mavericks and Kris Dunn from the Atlanta Hawks.
Josh Richardson
Having said that, both players are streaky shooters and do not provide the same value as Fournier on the offensive end.
With free agency kickstarting on August 2nd, the Boston Celtics have little time to sort out the situation. Communication will also be slow considering Evan Fournier is currently in Tokyo representing France at the 2021 Olympics.
It'll be interesting to see whether the new president of basketball operations Brad Stevens caves in and agrees to Fournier's demands or decides to let him walk.